LA Times Crossword Answers 1 Feb 16, Monday

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CROSSWORD SETTER: Janice Luttrell
THEME: Aftermarket … each of today’s themed answers starts with a word that is often seen AFTER MARKET:

59A. Secondary business venue, as for auto accessories … and, literally, where the starts of the answers to starred clues can go AFTERMARKET

20A. *Football player using a tee PLACE-KICKER (giving “marketplace”)
11D. *Split the taxi fare SHARE A CAB (giving “market share”)
35D. *Travel website pitched by William Shatner PRICELINE (giving “market price”)

BILL BUTLER’S COMPLETION TIME: 4m 31s
ANSWERS I MISSED: 0

Today’s Wiki-est, Amazonian Googlies
Across

10. Vile Nile snakes ASPS
The asp is a venomous snake found in the Nile region of Africa. It is so venomous that the asp was used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a means of execution. Cleopatra observed such executions noting that the venom brought on sleepiness without any painful spasms. When the great queen opted to commit suicide, the asp was therefore her chosen method.

14. Harbinger OMEN
A harbinger is a person or a thing that indicates what is to come. The word comes from the Middle English “herbenger”, a person sent ahead to arrange lodgings.

16. Great, in ’90s slang PHAT
In hip-hop circles, the term “phat” means excellent or first-rate.

18. “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!” poet DANTE
Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy” is an epic poem dating back to the 14th century. The first part of that epic is “Inferno”, which is the Italian word for “Hell”. In the poem, Dante is led on a journey by the poet Virgil, starting at the gates of Hell on which are written the famous words “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here”.

19. When doubled, American Samoa’s capital PAGO
Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa in the South Pacific. The island was used by the US Navy during WWII and it managed to escape most of the conflict. The only military incident of consequence was the shelling of the city’s harbor by a Japanese submarine. A more devastating event was the tsunami that hit Pago Pago and surrounding areas in 2009, causing widespread damage and numerous deaths.

23. GOP member REP
The Republican Party has had the nickname Grand Old Party (GOP) since 1875. That said, the phrase was coined in the “Congressional Record” as “this gallant old party”. The moniker was changed to “grand old party” in 1876 in an article in the “Cincinnati Commercial”. The Republican Party’s elephant mascot dates back to an 1874 cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast for “Harper’s Weekly”. The Democrat’s donkey was already an established symbol. Nast drew a donkey clothed in a lion’s skin scaring away the other animals. One of the scared animals was an elephant, which Nast labeled “The Republican Vote”.

24. Woman of la casa SENORA
In Spanish, the lady of “la casa” (the house) might be referred to as “Señora”.

27. __ Dakota NORTH
North Dakota’s state capital is Bismarck, and the largest city is Fargo. The list of state nicknames includes the Peace Garden State, the Roughrider State and the Flickertail State.

36. Not worth discussing MOOT
“To moot” is to bring up as a subject for discussion or debate. So, something that is moot is open to debate. Something that is no longer moot, is no longer worth debating. We don’t seem to be able get that right …

38. Director DeMille CECIL
Cecil B. Demille was a movie director and producer who started his professional career in the silent era. DeMille’s movies were often epic works, such “Cleopatra” (1936), “Samson and Delilah” (1949), “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) and “The Ten Commandments” (1956). The Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award is named in his honor, and indeed he was its first recipient.

42. In the style of A LA
The phrase “in the style of” can be translated in “alla” in Italian and “à la” in French.

43. French good-bye ADIEU
“Adieu” is the French for “goodbye” or “farewell”, from “à Dieu” meaning “to God”. The plural of “adieu” is “adieux”.

46. Rap fan B-BOY
A b-boy is a male fan of rap-music and breakdancing. Apparently the term comes from either “Bronx boy” or “break boy”.

47. Hummingbird’s diet NECTAR
Hummingbirds are the smallest of all the birds. The species known as the Bee Hummingbird is native to Cuba and weighs less than a tenth of an ounce and is about two inches in length!

51. House overhangs EAVES
The eaves are the overhanging edges of a roof that project beyond the supporting wall. The term “eaves” evolved from the Old English “efes” meaning “edge.

57. T-shirt sizes, for short SML
Small (sml.)

62. Mini-exam QUIZ
It may be that “quiz” comes from the Latin “qui es?” meaning “who are you?” We’ve been using the word “quiz” since the late 1800s.

64. Ancient region of present-day Turkey IONIA
The geographic region called Ionia is located in present day Turkey. Ionia was prominent in the days of Ancient Greece although it wasn’t a unified state, but rather a collection of tribes. The tribal confederacy was more based on religious and cultural similarities than a political or military alliance. Nowadays we often refer to this arrangement as the Ionian League.

65. Racer Yarborough CALE
Cale Yarborough is a former NASCAR driver and owner. Yarborough was the first NASCAR driver to appear on the cover of “Sports Illustrated”.

67. Lovers’ meeting TRYST
In its most general sense, a tryst is a meeting at an agreed time and place. More usually we consider a tryst to be a prearranged meeting between lovers. The term comes from the Old French “triste”, a waiting place designated when hunting.

68. Sch. near the Rio Grande UTEP
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) was founded in 1914, originally as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy. To this day there is a mine shaft on the campus, and the mascot of the school’s sports teams is Paydirt Pete, a prospector from the mining industry. The teams are also known as the UTEP Miners and Lady Miners.

Down
3. Family car SEDAN
The American “sedan” car is the equivalent of the British “saloon” car. By definition, a sedan car has two rows of seating and a separate trunk (boot in the UK), although in some models the engine can be at the rear of the car.

4. Ice-cream truck treat SNO-CONE
A sno-cone (also “snow cone”) is just a paper cone filled with crushed ice and topped with flavored water. Italian ice is similar, but different. Whereas the flavoring is added on top of the ice to make a sno-cone, Italian ice is made with water that is flavored before it is frozen.

5. Consequence of selfish acts, some say BAD KARMA
Karma is religious concept with its basis in Indian faiths. Karma embraces the notion of cause and effect. Good deeds have good consequences at some later point in one’s life, future life, or afterlife and vice versa.

6. Actor Morales ESAI
The actor Esai Morales is best known for his role in the 1987 movie “La Bamba”, which depicted the life of Ritchie Valens and his half-brother Bob Morales (played by Esai).

7. “The Mod Squad” role LINC
The 1999 movie “The Mod Squad” was an adaptation of the seventies television show of the same name. The part of Lincoln “Linc” Hayes was played by Omar Epps, Claire Danes played Julie Barnes and Giovanni Ribisi played Peter Cochran.

8. Hanukkah pancake LATKE
A latke is a delicious potato pancake (I’m Irish … so anything made with potato is delicious!).

The term “Hanukkah” derives from the Hebrew for “to dedicate”. Hanukkah is a holiday lasting eight days that commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem after successful Jewish revolt against the Seleucids in the 2nd-century BCE. The story of Hanukkah includes the miracle of the one-day supply of oil actually kept the menorah alight for eight days.

21. Suffix with 22-Down -ERO
22. Cowboy’s home RANCH
A ranchero is someone employed on a ranch, and is a word with Spanish roots.

31. Narc’s discovery KILO
“Narc” (from “narcotics”) is a slang term for a law enforcement officer who tracks down criminals associated with illegal drugs.

33. Tandoori flatbread NAAN
Naan (also “nan”) bread is very popular in Indian restaurants, as well as in other West, Central and South Asian cuisines. Indian Naan is traditionally baked in a clay oven known as a tandoor.

35. *Travel website pitched by William Shatner PRICELINE
Priceline.com is travel website providing discount prices for airline tickets and hotel stays. Priceline’s most famous spokespeople in advertisements are William Shatner and Kaley Cuoco.

William Shatner is a Canadian actor, famous for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” television series. Shatner was trained as a classical Shakespearean actor, and appeared on stage in many of the Bard’s works early in his career. While playing the Kirk character, he developed a reputation for over-acting, really emphasizing some words in a speech and using an excessive number of pauses. He gave his name to the word “shatneresque”, which describes such a style.

44. Pilot’s prediction: Abbr. ETA
Estimated time of arrival (ETA)

55. Sought morays EELED
Morays are a large group of about 200 species of eels found across the world’s oceans. They are carnivorous and look pretty scary but they’re quite shy when confronted and present no threat to humans. One interesting thing about morays is that they will sometimes work in cooperation with the grouper fish found in reefs, the two helping each other hunt for food.

56. Arthur Murray moves STEPS
The famed ballroom dancer Arthur Murray founded a chain of dance studios that bears his name. Murray’s list of pupils included future First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and future British King Edward VIII.

58. Sierra Club founder John MUIR
John Muir was a famous American naturalist, although he was born in Scotland. He published “My First Summer in the Sierra” in 1911, describing one of his favorite places in the country, the Sierra Nevada range in California. Muir was a co-founder of the Sierra Club.

60. Greek war goddess ENYO
Enyo was a Greek goddess of war, a companion to the war god Ares. Enyo was also the sister of Ares, and the daughter of Zeus and Hera.

63. New York’s Tappan __ Bridge ZEE
The Tappan Zee is a 10-mile stretch of the Hudson River in New York, a place where there is a widening of the waterway. The name comes from the Tappan Native American people and the Dutch word “zee” meaning “sea” or “wide expanse of water”. The Tappan Zee Bridge is more correctly called the Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge which crosses the Hudson River in New York. The bridge opened in 1955 and is showing its age. There are plans to replace it with a new bridge due to open in 2017.

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For the sake of completion, here is a full listing of all the answers:
Across
1. Get cheeky with SASS
5. __ and whistles: enhancements BELLS
10. Vile Nile snakes ASPS
14. Harbinger OMEN
15. Chinese or Japanese ASIAN
16. Great, in ’90s slang PHAT
17. Salon request for prom night UPDO
18. “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!” poet DANTE
19. When doubled, American Samoa’s capital PAGO
20. *Football player using a tee PLACE-KICKER
23. GOP member REP
24. Woman of la casa SENORA
25. Wipe clean ERASE
27. __ Dakota NORTH
30. Moves furtively SNEAKS
33. Kitten-lifting spot NAPE
36. Not worth discussing MOOT
38. Director DeMille CECIL
39. Ventilate AIR
40. Decorate, as with parsley GARNISH
42. In the style of A LA
43. French good-bye ADIEU
45. It’s prohibited NO-NO
46. Rap fan B-BOY
47. Hummingbird’s diet NECTAR
49. Get more mileage out of REUSE
51. House overhangs EAVES
53. Some car deals LEASES
57. T-shirt sizes, for short SML
59. Secondary business venue, as for auto accessories … and, literally, where the starts of the answers to starred clues can go AFTERMARKET
62. Mini-exam QUIZ
64. Ancient region of present-day Turkey IONIA
65. Racer Yarborough CALE
66. Speeder’s payment FINE
67. Lovers’ meeting TRYST
68. Sch. near the Rio Grande UTEP
69. Fir or ash TREE
70. Enjoy a cigar SMOKE
71. Places to sleep BEDS

Down
1. “__ on!”: “Dinner!” SOUP’S
2. More than sufficient AMPLE
3. Family car SEDAN
4. Ice-cream truck treat SNO-CONE
5. Consequence of selfish acts, some say BAD KARMA
6. Actor Morales ESAI
7. “The Mod Squad” role LINC
8. Hanukkah pancake LATKE
9. Scornful looks SNEERS
10. Smartphone download APP
11. *Split the taxi fare SHARE A CAB
12. Numbered book part PAGE
13. Call it a day STOP
21. Suffix with 22-Down -ERO
22. Cowboy’s home RANCH
26. Witness SEE
28. Pulled in different directions TORN
29. Hold in high respect HONOR
31. Narc’s discovery KILO
32. Do in, as a vampire SLAY
33. Tandoori flatbread NAAN
34. White House worker AIDE
35. *Travel website pitched by William Shatner PRICELINE
37. Fork feature TINE
40. Tropical fruit GUAVA
41. Love of one’s life SOUL MATE
44. Pilot’s prediction: Abbr. ETA
46. Grizzly youngster BEAR CUB
48. Gets new supplies for REFITS
50. Salty expanse SEA
52. Tempest STORM
54. Slide on ice SKATE
55. Sought morays EELED
56. Arthur Murray moves STEPS
57. Floor plan meas. SQ FT
58. Sierra Club founder John MUIR
60. Greek war goddess ENYO
61. Take a chance on RISK
63. New York’s Tappan __ Bridge ZEE

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10 thoughts on “LA Times Crossword Answers 1 Feb 16, Monday”

  1. Zero errors. Smooth grid, approaching "easy" as always is for a Monday. Incredibly little true junk fill makes this a well-done Monday grid.

  2. Easy Monday as it should be. I did have one write over when I put esposa before I put SENORA. Otherwise, problem free.

    @Glenn/Anon
    From yesterday. I think "My eye" is pretty much the equivelent of "my a*s!" e.g. "My a*s I'm going on that roller coaster"…meaning No – I'm not going on it.

    The real error was that clue is that in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, "no" would actually be "nyama" in Belorussian. Byelaya means "white" in Russian so belorussian is translated as White Russian…but not the drink. To be fair, Russian is also considered an official language of Belarus so i guess "nyet" technically works. It was just a curious choice of cities in the clue.

    Anyway, time to start my week….I guess.

    Best –

  3. Never heard of ENYO. Thought I knew them all. Had Ares for a while.

    Had SMs before SML, since I thought a plural was wanted.

  4. The clue "Rap fan" should have more correctly been "Blues fan". BB King was originally known in performances as Blues Boy King. That is how he eventually became BB King and is why the Blues is a more familiar use of the term B Boy.

  5. @Carrie re Sunday grids, posted yesterday.

    I do 3-4 of the 21×21 a week as of the last month or so (2 on Sat, 2 on Sun) and the quality of them tend to vary depending on what the crossword editors get (or do in the case of Birnholz). I remember reading from Shortz that Sunday (along with Mon and Tues) is one of the harder days for them to get good grids for. Given the increased number of players in the market, I'm sure a number of them will suffer from week to week. Coming up with "clever themes" is hard, and that's the biggest problem I'm still trying to wrap my head around in terms of attempting to submit grids myself.

    Though, given that they're taking too much time overall (the main reason I'm doing it is both experience and feeling out the market place), I'll probably figure out which ones to drop and scale back to something more manageable. Of course, I'd probably slide the WSJ grid in somewhere but their problem is their online setup is such a mess right now – can't even get the answers to their 21×21 grids. Of course, the NYT is pay-for-play so that kind of limits that one regularly.

    Anyhow, FWIW, for this week:
    LAT – 7 errors. You know about this one.
    Birnholz – 6 errors. Nice little trick this week for the theme (won't spoil it). He's generally been an able, and more important level replacement for Reagle. Since he's younger, he'll throw a few pop culture references that are more for the 20-40 set, but mostly straight forward and few tricks.
    Longo – about 9/10 of the way done with his grid this week with 3 errors so far. He's generally a very able grid setter, but will pull some weirdness at times. For example, the theme is a couple of jokes he coded into the grid. More "old fogey" type references than not, too.
    Newsday – haven't gotten to this week's yet, but usually a fairly easy grid. I got zero errors off of Gail Grabowski's grid last week. Most of them are fairly level with some weirdness and varying of difficulty depending on who gets drawn to do the grid. Overall, Newsday's 15×15's are about a LAT Wednesday difficulty at most, but the Saturday one is a treat if you're looking for a challenge.

    @Jeff That whole clue/answer was a pretty badly conceived one, but I get a certain amount of junk fill in these grids just to fill them out. Of course, there's much more in the 21×21's – just the nature of the beast.

  6. This came together and was completed very quickly (as the Monday grid ought to be). I just finished the Sunday large format grid before I did this one and I thought it was a good challenge. For the Sunday grid it doesn't help me when I fill in things like "expedite" for 24 Down's "Shipping overnight perhaps"! Finally I got Fedexing and the cross fills began to finally come together…

  7. Well, I read old books, and I've heard of "my hat!", "my sainted aunt!", my stars and garters!", and I always took them to mean "goodness gracious!"

    Wait…wait…I've got it now. It's used in phrases such as "dropped the cookies, my eye!". As in "oh yeah, I don't believe you".
    But not Nyet.

  8. Jeez, I almost didn't make it thru this Monday grid, thanks to EELED. What is THAT??! At least I now know what a Moray is. Lucky guess. Didn't know CALE, thought I'd blow it — but I made it through the rain.
    @Glenn, sounds like there just isn't enough talent out there any more. You'd better get to it!
    I totally agree re. "My eye," and Jeff, I appreciate your comments. We are all a bunch of language lovers, so these sloppy clues bother us. Anyway, FWIW, here's my suggestion for a better clue:"No, in
    Novaya Kalami." Still has the same initials (which setters love) and sounds kinda Russian. Where is Novaya Kalami? In Russia, somewhere… 😀
    Hope I do better on Tuesday!
    It's going on 4 a.m. over in Iowa and it's still to close to call between Clinton and Sanders…quite the spectator sport 😀
    Be well~~™

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